Two upcoming projects from the award-winning director Steven Spielberg take a big step closer in production.

On Monday (June 16th) Disney and DreamWorks issued release dates in 2015 and 2016 for the upcoming films, via The Wrap.

The first to be released is Spielberg's untitled Cold War Thriller, which will see him reunite with Tom Hanks, hitting theatres on October 16th, 2015.

The live-action adaptation of Roald Dahl's 'The BFG' is scheduled to open almost 9 months later on July 1st, 2016.

Hanks will star as the main character in the true story of James Donovan, who was an attorney hired by the CIA to negotiate the release of downed U2 pilot Gary Powers.

The forthcoming movie's screenplay will be penned by screenwriter Matt Charman and be produced by Marc Platt.

This will be their forth project together after working on the hugely successful flicks, 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Catch Me If You Can' and 'The Terminal.' Furthermore, they have also collaborated with each other when Hanks has a role behind the camera, they produced the acclaimed HBO miniseries' 'Band of Brothers' and 'The Pacific'.

The family film follows the Big Friendly Giant as he becomes friends with a young orphan girl. The plot based from the original book, which was illustrated by Quentin Blake, was first published in 1982 and is an expansion of an earlier story recalled in 'Danny, the Champion of the World'.

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DreamWorks acquired the fantasy tale in 2011, and have Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall attached as producers. The screenplay has already been written by Melissa Mathison, the author of the script for E.T.

The book was previously adapted in 1989 into an animation film for British TV.

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These two productions will follow Spielberg's last film, the hugely successful 'Lincoln,' which went on to earn a Oscar nomination for Best Director and win the Academy-Award for Best Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of the 16th president of the United States.

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Spielberg's next two film projects have been issued a release date